Breakfast habits affect aging speed: experts warn of risks of high-sugar and high-fat foods

What you eat for breakfast not only affects your energy throughout the day, but is also closely related to the rate of aging of your body. A number of international studies have warned that regular consumption of high-fat and high-sugar foods for breakfast may accelerate human biological aging and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

According to Korean media reports, consuming too much sugar, sodium and saturated fat at breakfast can easily cause additional burden on the human body. Among them, fried bacon, a common dish for brunch, is rich in fat and protein, and it is easy to produce a large amount of "glycation end products" (AGEs) during the high-temperature frying process. This substance will promote oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in the body, thereby causing chronic diseases related to aging. Experts recommend that when cooking bacon, the cooking temperature and time should be lowered, and the frequency of consumption should be moderately controlled.

Many people are accustomed to having sweet coffee, juice or soda for breakfast. Such sugary drinks can also cause hidden burdens on the body. A 2026 study of 9,104 adults published in the international academic journal "Advanced Science" showed that the biological aging rate of those who frequently drink sugary drinks is significantly faster than that of those who do not drink frequently. Experts suggest that sugary drinks should be replaced with plain water, sugar-free tea or sugar-free black coffee in the morning.

In addition, French croissant, which is often regarded as a convenient breakfast, is a typical ultra-processed food because it uses a lot of cream, refined flour and sugar in the production process. A large-scale analysis of 22,495 Italian adults published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2024 pointed out that the higher the intake of ultra-processed food, the faster the biological age of the subjects.